Comments on: Sharpeville redux and a bit more

By: Johan Meyer

Johan Meyer — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:13:16 +0000

@Lyndall Beddy
Kind of funny, for if it was not investigated by the TRC, that leaves future court action as a possibility – there are no theoretical time limitations on murder charges, even if practical matters of evidence and politics can limit such charges. Further, you should supply a reference.

@Traps
Did Spyker van Wyk ever talk at the TRC hearings? I don’t recall hearing anything like that, so I wonder what opportunities remain for his victims.

By: Global Voices Online » South Africa: Remembering Sharpeville Massacre

Global Voices Online » South Africa: Remembering Sharpeville Massacre — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:14:07 +0000

[...] Trapido remembers this day in his post on Thought Leader titled Sharpeville Redux and a Bit More: On that fateful day a group of between 5 000 and 7 000 people converged on the local police [...]

By: Lyndall Beddy

Lyndall Beddy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:12:59 +0000

And what about the Shell House Massacre of unarmed IFP by the armed ANC – which Mandela would NOT allow to be investigated by the TRC?

There were more dead at Shell House than at Sharpeville.

By: nguni

nguni — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:38:47 +0000

Still on about Sharpville 50 years later Traps..
Shame. That mess was eclipsed decades later by massacres thousands of times larger in the rest of this continent. I know black-on-black violence doesn’t count for journalists of your ilk, but it does date you.

You write: Fortunately for protesters this time around there are police who are not armed with ludicrous preconceptions about “the native mentality” and thirteen people were arrested for allegedly stoning a police vehicle.

Yes the corrupt police nowdays have other preconceptions, like ignoring crime and raping women. Big improvement? I don’t think so. They just confirm that the ‘native mentality’ hasn’t changed.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:44:00 +0000

“speeding up service delivery”?????. How about demonstrating about complete “non-delivery of local services”?? The real issue – rather more bluntly put – is that corruption is taking such vast sums out of municipal and govt. budgets, that service delivery becomes nigh-on impossible in many areas. That is what major demonstrations wil eventually & very clearly be about.

By: Lyndall Beddy

Lyndall Beddy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:15:42 +0000

On 23/1/1960 a black mob attacked Cato Manor police station and killed 9 policemen (5 black, and 4 white)

On 21/3/1960 a black group of 5000-7000 blacks marched on Orlando West police station in Soweto.

Those are historic facts – check them on Google.

If I say any more I will be censored again.

By: John EveryMan

John EveryMan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:27:04 +0000

@ Graham Johnson, brent, Lyndall Beddy and others
Sounds like you have been listening to the best kind of Afrikaner-Nationalist propaganda which sought to de-legitimize the actions of the ANC (and all anti-apartheid groups) by associating them with “violence extremism”. You criticize the accurate historical account represented by Mike Trapido with the usual dismiss “you-don’t-understand-your-history-drawl” but why? The question that you can’t seem to able to get around seems to be: how could these White Afrikaner policemen open fire on unharmed and (semi)peaceful protestors? The answer: protestors must have be they were violent rabble. As if White Afrikaners were not capable of unprovoked violence (he said with irony twinkling in his eye). You do not consider the de-humanizing affect played by Afrikaner-Nationalism (and of White segregationist ideology in general) nor the explicit mandate given by the Afrikaner-Nationalist government to their police forces in Sharpville (and other black townships). But Afrikaner-Nationalist propaganda never considered these things so why should you.

By: The Creator

The Creator — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:43:38 +0000

Stens don’t have safety catches, and they are prone to continue firing when you take your finger off the trigger.

Equipping riot policemen with weapons of this nature automatically means that you are content to have a massacre.

By: Robard

Robard — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:36:36 +0000

Judith, according to activist Dan Roodt the strict enforcement of laws against water pollution was one of the reasons why the mining companies worked hard to get rid of the apartheid government. One of their gambits was to sponsor Marxist revolutionaries to study at Wits. That paid off, since the SACP are now officially opposed to the nationalisation of mines and they can pollute our water with impunity.

By: pete ess

pete ess — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:55:30 +0000

‘Fraid Belle is right, MT. “Get rid of” sounds like its assuming Zuma & co. can do this. They cannot. They owe too much to too many. Too much is known about them that they would rather not see light of day. We don’t want anarchy. We just want people in their millions to start realising that voting for the ANC is voting AGAINST their own best interests. As long as they are swayed by a braai and promises of 500 000 jobs before elections, we have no hope. Hopefully the fact that it turned out to be 500 000 job LOSSES will sink home. The discouraging thing is the massive enrichment thru govt tenders of the ANC itself, and their hiring of sophisticated advisers at election time who get them votes in spite of everything.